The Rangers Are 35-22

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A fantastic ending to that game, if you're a Rangers fan. If not, well...

  • Colby Lewis started tonight's game, and things started rough for him. He allowed some hard-hit balls early on and managed to squeak out of it, but it finally caught up to him in the top of the third inning when Jose Altuve hit a three-run home run. Colby ended up going six innings, but they weren't his strongest work of the season
     
  • The offense got started early in the bottom of the first inning. Jurickson Profar led off the Rangers attack with a triple, then scored on an Ian Desmond Single. Nomar Mazara singled, Desmond scored on a wild pitch, and Prince Fielder singled in Mazara to make it 3-0 Texas until the Altuve home run tied it up.
     
  • Speaking of Prince Fielder, he got the start at first base today. He ended up going 2-for-4, and it had all the post-game types talking about how it was the type of game that gets a player like Fielder going, but I'm just not seeing it. His approach still looked abysmal at the plate, and his two hits were more of the BABIP variety than a product of great at-bats. In fact, the first hit -- that scored Mazara in the first inning -- was a pitch on the outside part of the plate. With the defense playing him shifted toward right field, it was exactly the kind of pitch he needed to take opposite field. Instead, he went for the pull. It worked out, but it wasn't something that jumped out to me as indicative of a guy getting into a groove.
     
  • His defense wasn't a whole lot better. He had an error on a throw, and missed a play that perhaps Mitch Moreland -- or anyone not as heavy-set as Fielder -- might have had a better chance to make. Then again, three Rangers errors ended up resulting in an unearned run on the night.
     
  • Nomar Mazara was 4-for-4 on the day. Nothing to see here. Move along.
     
  • Of course, the star of the game ended up being Odor. His solo home run gave Texas a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third inning. His sacrifice fly tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning. And of course, his walk-off double in the ninth inning won the game. It's pretty nice to have this plethora of young talent in the infield.
     
  • At 35-22, the Rangers have their best start in franchise history, and find themselves on pace to win 99 games. There's a lot of season left, but this is a ball club that is beginning to look strong to quite strong.
     
  • Dallas Keuchel and Cole Hamels take the mound tomorrow in the second game of the four-game set. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM.